Judgement based on diet
SurfyFriend
Posts: 362 Member
Hello all my team vegan buddies!
Have any of you noticed the commotion that seems to be happening in a few threads lately?
Does it bother you at all, or does it reflect things you face in your daily life?
For example, I've never told my family I am vegan but they have visited me for the past week and have quietly asked me if I am vegan just out of curiosity. I am lucky to have such caring relationships that I can be open about my views.
It has become clear to me that there are indeed haters out there which I have not yet come across.
Do they bother you?
Have any of you noticed the commotion that seems to be happening in a few threads lately?
Does it bother you at all, or does it reflect things you face in your daily life?
For example, I've never told my family I am vegan but they have visited me for the past week and have quietly asked me if I am vegan just out of curiosity. I am lucky to have such caring relationships that I can be open about my views.
It has become clear to me that there are indeed haters out there which I have not yet come across.
Do they bother you?
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Replies
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Veganism is not just a diet its a moral standpoint. I think the fact that vegans are making a stand against what people see as normal and questions there own morality threatens people so they react by trying to discredit the viewpoint. In my experience you do get responses from people normally out of ignorance I still get relations ask me if I get enough proteins and all the normal misconceptions. I don,t push my ideas on people but will discuss my point of view if challenged or I disagree.
There does seem to be quite a few people on mfp with a big chip on their shoulder reguarding vegans. Personally get on with your own thing and discuss your point of view if asked0 -
Very well stated Fatdoob!0
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Several of my family members are vegan, so there's no problem there. My problem comes with the ignorance of coworkers. Half of them seem curious and ask questions. The other half...well...hypercritical doesn't even come close. They want to argue. I just roll my eyes and tell them they won't change my mind, so don't waste my time.0
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They don't bother me and really, I don't encounter them that often.
I have many responses depending on the situation, but one is, "Please explain to me how a diet that has made me extremely healthy and doesn't' require the death or abuse of any animals isn't a good thing?"
Usually I get nothing or a nonsensical response, such as "Well I love my meat!" which of course, fails to answer my question.0 -
They don't bother me and really, I don't encounter them that often.
I have many responses depending on the situation, but one is, "Please explain to me how a diet that has made me extremely healthy and doesn't' require the death or abuse of any animals isn't a good thing?"
Usually I get nothing or a nonsensical response, such as "Well I love my meat!" which of course, fails to answer my question.
^^^THIS, lol
With that said, my family constantly makes a habit of pointing out how inconvenient of me it is to be vegan. Either when we go out or cook at home. I have in the past, and continue to, offer to bring my own foods, but that seems to upset them even more.
When I challenge their, "HUMANS ARE MEANT TO EAT MEAT," argument with sound, scientific resources they "Hmph" and "Blah, blah, blah" at me so loudly I finally have to just give in.
The fact is we, as vegans, live and breath a lifestyle that is contrary to what the majority of the population has come to view as normal. It's unfortunate but true. I find that not judging them and not losing my temper helps to find people that are more willing to listen openly. You catch more flies with honey-- scratch that-- with agave.
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They don't bother me and really, I don't encounter them that often.
I have many responses depending on the situation, but one is, "Please explain to me how a diet that has made me extremely healthy and doesn't' require the death or abuse of any animals isn't a good thing?"
Usually I get nothing or a nonsensical response, such as "Well I love my meat!" which of course, fails to answer my question.
You are extremely witty!!0 -
Well my family are pretty supportive for my luck .
co-workers are different story.......
-some of them are sure that by becoming a vegan you become less of a man.....which is sad , I still don't get how by making animals suffer you become more masculine?!
but I think thee worst reaction I have seen:are people who like to push meat in my face....0 -
You are extremely witty!!
Hah thanks!-some of them are sure that by becoming a vegan you become less of a man.....which is sad , I still don't get how by making animals suffer you become more masculine?!
Show them this and ask them, "How many carnivores does it take to kill a herbivore?"
“People eat meat and think they will become as strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass." ~ Pino Caruso0 -
With that said, my family constantly makes a habit of pointing out how inconvenient of me it is to be vegan. Either when we go out or cook at home. I have in the past, and continue to, offer to bring my own foods, but that seems to upset them even more.
When I challenge their, "HUMANS ARE MEANT TO EAT MEAT," argument with sound, scientific resources they "Hmph" and "Blah, blah, blah" at me so loudly I finally have to just give in.
The fact is we, as vegans, live and breath a lifestyle that is contrary to what the majority of the population has come to view as normal. It's unfortunate but true. I find that not judging them and not losing my temper helps to find people that are more willing to listen openly. You catch more flies with honey-- scratch that-- with agave.
You'd think that with as much as you have lost and as healthy as you look they'd back off by now.0 -
-some of them are sure that by becoming a vegan you become less of a man.....which is sad , I still don't get how by making animals suffer you become more masculine?!
Show them this and ask them, "How many carnivores does it take to kill a herbivore?"
“People eat meat and think they will become as strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass." ~ Pino Caruso
LOL thanks be sure i will 0 -
Haters are going to hate, especially when it comes to diet I think more so than varying religions or politics because most people just accept what the system says about how we eat, eat whatever and whoever you want. When one of us decides to change how we eat to veganism, even without going and "preaching" some people inevitably will be upset with us. We are holding up a mirror to them of what they are doing whether they consciously realize that or not. Plus they are emotionally invested in us eating how we used to. Food is not just a health or ethical or environmental issue. It's one that digs deep into our emotions and can bring up things we'd rather not think about which is what most people do, like where does our food come from, how are the animals treated etc.
So let them hate, and just negate it with more compassion and good food in my opinion
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. It's one that digs deep into our emotions and can bring up things we'd rather not think about which is what most people do, like where does our food come from, how are the animals treated etc.
So let them hate, and just negate it with more compassion and good food in my opinion
I totally agree with you!
Well most people are scared of change or perhaps they are still not ready to face the true and some (and hopefully most) will face it sooner or later0 -
I began my vegan journey based on health, not morals, so my story often resonates with the "hater" types. Vegan diets afford less inflammation in the body. I had disc fusion surgery on 3 vertebrae in my neck10 years ago. 5 years post surgery, I started to have trouble with the discs above and below the fusion, essentially b/c of the "block" that moved all at once causing added stress and strain. An exiting nerve got inflammed when the soft tissues around those discs got aggravated and swelled. Years of excruciating pain involved.... Since I went vegan2 years ago, things have gradually improved to the point of NO PAIN and amazing increased mobility. Today, I can move and dance and be physically active. When I tell people my story, they really do SHUT UP about my diet. Often, they ask if I miss a particular food and we have a great conversation.0
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With that said, my family constantly makes a habit of pointing out how inconvenient of me it is to be vegan. Either when we go out or cook at home. I have in the past, and continue to, offer to bring my own foods, but that seems to upset them even more.
When I challenge their, "HUMANS ARE MEANT TO EAT MEAT," argument with sound, scientific resources they "Hmph" and "Blah, blah, blah" at me so loudly I finally have to just give in.
The fact is we, as vegans, live and breath a lifestyle that is contrary to what the majority of the population has come to view as normal. It's unfortunate but true. I find that not judging them and not losing my temper helps to find people that are more willing to listen openly. You catch more flies with honey-- scratch that-- with agave.
You'd think that with as much as you have lost and as healthy as you look they'd back off by now.
Perhaps some day?
My brother is 5'10" and weighs about 320 right now (eating convenience store and fast food). Yet I cannot seem to convince any of them how much better off they'd be.
To each his own and let the haters hate. It's in their hands-- I learned a long time ago that you can't force a person out of their ignorance. They have to come to it on their own. I live the best way that I can each and every day and hope that through my actions I can be a leader and inspiration. 0 -
I'm more in the same camp as Sheltony but really empathized with the moral issue of it all too. I grew up in cattle country and my granddad had a hog farm back in the day. With corporate farms and ranching taking over though... I am very troubled by what goes on in the meat industry now and of course not to mention how bad animal protein can be for humans. I have over the years keep eating less meat so it really wasn't hard to just exclude it from the diet. Dairy was more challenging.
What gave me the final push was my wife was taking some continuing ed for work on the woes of eating dairy. When she got home she wanted to try eating vegan. Her side of the family has had cancer issues and since I would like to keep my wife around as long as possible I was willing to give a try and we have both been doing well eating this way.
We live in one of the few progressive cities in Kansas ( probably the only one!) and our friends have all been very interested ( in a good way) in the way we eat. The only haters I've encounter are people posting on forums at this point.
When traveling to see my elderly parents I do always bring my own food and while my mother thinks eating this way is a little weird she doesn't mind not having to cook extra food.
The hardest thing I had to do was traveling to stay with friends that run a big cattle ranch. I worried for 2 weeks on how I was going to handle it. The ranch is way out in the boonies and the wife likes to cook for people. I decided to bring my own food and told them I was eating this way for my wife. Whew... they were very nice about it all. I think most people deep down on some level know that the way most Americans eat is not working out.0 -
I think too, if there's upheaval here or in the larger "fitness community," it's the fact that the current fad is paleo, so it's what everyone has hitched their wagons to as "what works," which means it becomes for them "the only thing that works." Which means that even with evidence in front of them that something else works, they will stubbornly insist that meat is the only way to go.
I just ignore it. I'm old enough to remember the last meat-based fad diet.0 -
I hate it when people lump me together with PETA-philes! I HATE PETA!!!!!!!0
